When Ideology Meets Reality: A Discourse Analysis of De Vegetarische Slager and Wakker Dier

Abstract

This thesis is the first academic exploration into practical resistance to neoliberal capitalist speciesist exploitation in the Netherlands on an organizational level. More specifically, it addresses the question how two Dutch anti-speciesist organizations use language to challenge, subvert and strengthen hegemonic speciesistic discourse. These two organizations are de Vegetarische Slager and Wakker Dier. The differences and similarities between de Vegetarische Slager and Wakker Dier are obtained through a discourse analysis applying several analytical lenses provided by Feminist and Ecofeminist theory. The resulting levels of analysis are the vision, harms and solutions offered, the respectful representation of non-human interests, the use of euphemisms, neoliberal capitalist biases and material offered for essays and presentation by the two organizations. I conclude that the different strategic approaches indicate a deeply ingrained position from which both organizations strive towards transformation instead of a radical breach with dominant performances of speciesism.